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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23820112">Not quite a Dad, but pretty damn close</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvels_blue_phoenix/pseuds/marvels_blue_phoenix'>marvels_blue_phoenix</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anxious Peter Parker, Everything is Beautiful and Nothing Hurts, Irondad, Movie Night, Nervous Peter Parker, Precious Peter Parker, Stark Gala, Suit Shopping, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Cuddles, Tony Stark Has A Heart, spiderson</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:01:32</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,360</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23820112</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/marvels_blue_phoenix/pseuds/marvels_blue_phoenix</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Tony invites Peter to a Stark gala only to find out the kid doesn’t have a suit. Cue Tony’s Dad instincts kicking in.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Peter Parker &amp; Tony Stark</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>139</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>The Friendly Neighborhood Exchange</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Not quite a Dad, but pretty damn close</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/technically_a_little_dragon/gifts">technically_a_little_dragon</a>.</li>



    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Mr. Stark,” the teen called as he knocked on the man’s bedroom door.<br/>
“Come on in kiddo,” Tony called.<br/>
Peter walked in and saw the man standing there dressed in an immaculate suit, a tie in each hand as he tried them by his neck in the mirror. The teen suddenly felt very underdressed.<br/>
“Which one, cherries or bananas?” Tony asked as he turned to face Peter, “what are you wearing?”<br/>
“I uh, I don’t have a suit,” the teen told him quietly, looking away.<br/>
A couple of days before Tony asked the teen to come to the next Stark gala with him. The teen had been a little reluctant at first, thanks to anxiety, but ultimately said yes. The only problem now though was Peter realised he didn’t have a suit and the gala was tonight.<br/>
“Okay,” Tony said causing Peter to look up at him, “we need to fix that, c’mon.”<br/>
With that the man wrapped an arm around Peter’s shoulders and led him to the elevator.<br/>
“Uh, Mr. Stark, where are we going?” The teen asked.<br/>
“We’re gonna go and get you a suit,” Tony replied with a smile, “can’t have my kid show up in jeans and a t-shirt now can I?”<br/>
Peter could only muster up a small smile. Tony had just referred to him as his kid.<br/>
Sure the teen had lately thought of the man as father figure, but for the man to actually call him his kid. It made Peter’s heart soar and his head spin. </p>
<p>When the pair got to the garage they got into one of the less flashy cars and headed for the mall, Tony turning the radio on lowly as they did.<br/>
“So kiddo you excited for tonight?” The man asked after a few minutes.<br/>
“I’m actually kinda nervous,” Peter answered, playing with the hem of his hoodie, "I uh I’ve never been to anything like this before."<br/>
"Don't worry kiddo you'll be fine," Tony said with a smile, "I won't lie there'll be a bunch of big shot idiots there, but stick with me and we'll be fine. We can make fun of all their fancy smancy suits."<br/>
"But Mr. Stark, won't we be wearing fancy suits?" Peter asked him.<br/>
"See that's where your wrong Petey," Tony replied, "we'll simply be wearing fancy suits we can wear to other things. Fancy smancy is a suit that you wear once."<br/>
"Really?" Peter asked, smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.<br/>
"Sure," Tony told him as he pulled the parking lot, "you ever seen them? The make people walk around all stiff. Like the Barbies in toy story, they can only bend at the waist."</p>
<p>Peter burst into giggles at the image of that and Tony felt warmth bloom in his chest as he smiled. Peter's laugh was the best sound in the world to Tony, making his day better and brighter.<br/>
The man parked up as the teens giggles died down and looked over at him with a smile. Peter's eyes still dancing with laughter as he smiled back at Tony.<br/>
"Let's go kiddo," the man said after a few seconds, the two of them climbing out of the car.</p>
<p>Waking through the mall Peter pressed himself a little closer to Tony. It was a little too crowded for his liking. Tony gave a soft smile and wrapped his arm around the teens shoulders, pulling him a little closer and placing a comforting kiss to the top of his head. The teen smiled in thanks.</p>
<p>"Here we are," Tony announced a few minutes later, walking into the clothing store.<br/>
Suit jackets, trousers and shirts of all shapes colours and sizes lined the walls on hangers. Some were on stands folded neatly, mannequins displaying them gracefully.<br/>
Peter gulped.<br/>
The teen had never wanted the ground to swallow him up more than he did right now. He felt so out of place in this store he put his hood up, there was no way he'd ever be able to afford these prices.<br/>
"Mr. Stark?" The teen mumbled.<br/>
"What's up bug?" He asked, turning from wear he was looking at some jackets.<br/>
"I uh I can't afford any of this," Peter mumbled shifting uncomfortably, trying to hide in his hoodie.<br/>
"Hey," Tony said softly, Peters eyes locking with his, "I'm buying you the suit okay? My treat."<br/>
"No, Mr. Stark you don't have to do that. I don't mind getting a suit from somewhere else," the teen started to ramble, Tony placed a hand over his mouth to stop him.<br/>
"Peter relax, besides I want to buy you the suit," Tony told him, moving his hand to gently slide Peter's hood off, "you're my kid, let me spoil you okay?"<br/>
Peter nodded and Tony smiled before pulling him in for a brief hug.<br/>
"Hello, can I help you?" A woman asked.<br/>
"Hi yes please, we're here to get my son his first suit and don't know where to start," Tony smiled.<br/>
"Of course," the woman smiled, "follow me and we can get your sons measurements and go from there."<br/>
Tony followed with a smile.</p>
<p>Peter walked out of the changing room in what felt like the fiftieth suit, but was only his tenth. After getting his measurements Tony and the woman, who they learned was named Amber, had picked out some combinations of suits. Peter was the unlucky soul that had to try them all on. After the third one the teen was ready to go home.<br/>
"Definitely not," Tony said.<br/>
"What's wrong with this one?" Peter asked, looking down at the white shirt and dark purple velvet suit.<br/>
"Oh honey you look like you’re at a wedding," Amber told him gently.<br/>
Peter threw is head back with a groan, he was so over this.<br/>
"One last one," Tony said as he held out a plain black suit.<br/>
"Daaad," Peter whined, taking the suit.<br/>
"I know but this is the last one," Tony promised, smiling when Peter went to change.</p>
<p>The teen walked out a couple of minutes later dressed in black slacks, a crisp white shirt and a smart black jacket with sleeves that fell a couple of inches past his wrists. Both adults perked up when they saw him.<br/>
"Look at you kiddo," Tony said with a smile, "now you look ready for a gala, what do you think Amber?"<br/>
"I think he looks quite handsome in that getup," she replied with a smile of her own, her comment making Peter blush, "perfect for a gala."<br/>
"What do you think kiddo?" Tony asked.<br/>
"It's okay," Peter mumbled, "Can I get out of this now?"<br/>
"Sure," Tony said with a small chuckle.<br/>
"I'll just put these back then ring you up," Amber told him, taking the other suits back onto the shop floor to put them away.</p>
<p>"Now that we have a suit, we just need a tie and shoes," Tony told Peter when they walked out of the store five minutes later.<br/>
"Where are we gonna get a tie from?" Peter asked, bag in hand.<br/>
"Believe it or not there's a tie shop around here," Tony told him, arm a comforting weight on the teens shoulders.<br/>
"I didn't know those existed," Peter said, sounding a little confused.<br/>
"Neither did I," Tony said with a small shrug, "I only know cause Pepper told me."<br/>
Peter couldn't help but giggle at that, Miss Potts knew everything and Tony would be lost without her.</p>
<p>Two minutes later the two were in the shoe shop, it was closer so they went there first, with Peter trying on another pair of shoes.<br/>
"They feel weird," he said, nose scrunched a little in distaste.<br/>
Tony couldn't help but melt at the sheer adorableness of that look.<br/>
"They're gonna feel weird bud, new shoes always do," he reassured the teen, watching as he paced a little to see how his shoes were, "besides it’s only for a few hours."<br/>
"A few hours?" Peter blanched.<br/>
Shit, he forgot to mention that part.<br/>
"Kid you gotta relax, you'll be with me the whole time," Tony reassured, "trust me it'll fly by."<br/>
Peter took a deep breath. Tony knew the teen had anxiety and the last thing he wanted was for Peter to have a panic attack.<br/>
"If it gets too much for you we'll skip okay?" He asked the teen, feeling himself relax when Peter nodded, “do your shoes feel okay?”<br/>
“Yeah, just weird cause I’ve never worn this kind of shoe before,” The teen replied, sitting down to swap the shoes for his converse.<br/>
Tony noticed the converse were practically falling off the kids feet. He looked around while Peter tied his laces and smiled, sneakily grabbing the box of Spider-Man themed converse. The man made sure the box was under the suit shoes and the sticker was facing away from Peter so he wouldn’t see them.<br/>
Tony planned on giving them to his for his birthday.<br/>
The teen saw the box but thought nothing of it. </p>
<p>Ten minutes later the duo were stood in the tie shop, Tony trying different ties against Peter. The teen wore his suit jacket so the man could finds a tie that complemented it nicely.<br/>
“Wouldn’t it be simpler to just get me a black tie?” Peter asked after Tony shook his head for the fifth time.<br/>
“C’mon kiddo where’s the fun in that?” Tony asked with a smile, “besides all the others will be like that. So we should spice it up a little.”<br/>
“Won’t Miss Potts be mad if we do that?”<br/>
“Maybe, but she doesn’t scare me,” Tony replied, Peter shooting him a look, “okay she terrifies me but if I have you do the same she won’t yell at me.”<br/>
“Why are you dragging me under the bus with you?” Peter asked, “She scares me too.”<br/>
“Because she loves you, which softens the blow for me,” He told teen.<br/>
“Dude,” Peter replied with a look of betrayal.<br/>
“What it’s true,” the genius shrugged.<br/>
“I don’t even know you anymore,” Peter teased lightly, a smiled tugging at his lips.<br/>
“You’re a little shit, you know that?” Tony teased back with a smile of his own, Peter giving him a cheeky grin in response. </p>
<p>Half an hour later the duo got back to the tower and Peter went to his room to change, walking to Tony’s room for some help.<br/>
“Mr. Stark?” The teen asked from the other side of the door.<br/>
“C’mon in kiddo,” Tony called, dressed in a smart dark grey suit, white shirt and a tie with mini arc reactors on it.<br/>
Peter entered and Tony smiled fondly as he walked over and tucked the back of the boys shirt in.<br/>
“Where’s your tie kiddo?” The man asked.<br/>
“Um, can – can you help me put it on please?” The teen asked, holding said tie that was red with black spider web like designs on it.<br/>
“Sure, c’mon,” the man smiled as he led the teen over to the full length mirror, standing behind him and undoing his own tie.<br/>
“Ready to learn how to tie a tie?” He asked, smiling when Peter nodded.<br/>
For the next few minutes Tony showed Peter how to tie a tie step by step, the teen turning to him with a beam when he’d finished.<br/>
“How do I look?” He asked.<br/>
“You look great kiddo,” Tony smiled, fixing his collar so it rest over his tie, “there you go.”<br/>
“Thanks Mr. Stark,” the teen said with a flush.<br/>
“No worries kiddo, you ready?”<br/>
“Ready as I’ll ever be,” Peter replied.<br/>
With a smile Tony threw his arm around the teens shoulders and led him to the waiting car. </p>
<p>Two hours into the gala Peter was sitting at the bar bored out of his mind. They’d arrived at the gala, Tony covering Peter from the camera flashes, and were greeted by Pepper. The woman had simply shook her head with a smile at their ties, before leading them into the main room. Tony was swept away in a flurry of businesspeople while Happy managed to guide Peter over to the bar and got him a lemonade.<br/>
Now the teen just wanted to go home.<br/>
He looked around the sea of people looking for Tony, relief flooding through him when they locked eyes and Tony nodded. The genius made his way over to the teen and quietly led him out.<br/>
“Wait, shouldn’t you tell Miss Potts?” Peter asked as they got outside.<br/>
“Nah, I’ll just let her yell at me tomorrow,” Tony smiled, shielding the teen from the cameras once again as they got into the car.<br/>
“So,” Tony began as they headed back to the tower, “how does a movie night in our pj’s sound?”<br/>
“Sounds like a plan,” Peter smiled, leaning into Tony’s side and resting his head on the man’s shoulder. </p>
<p>Once back at the tower the two changed into their pj’s before meeting back up in the living room, Tony wrapping the teen in a blanket and carrying him to the couch. Tony sat on the couch with the teen cuddled into his side, another blanket around them both.<br/>
“What do you wanna watch kiddo?” Tony asked.<br/>
“Can we watch A Goofy Movie?” The teen asked.<br/>
“You heard the kid Fri,” Tony said, a soft smile on his face as Peter snuggled closer. </p>
<p>As the movie played Peters head moved to rest on Tony’s chest as the man’s fingers gently ran through his hair.<br/>
“Hey Mr. Stark?” The teen said softly, sleep lacing his voice.<br/>
“Yeah Pete?” Tony replied just as softly, scratching the kids scalp and making him purr.<br/>
“Thank you.”<br/>
“What for?”<br/>
“For being like a Dad today.”<br/>
“I am many things Pete, but a Dad isn’t one of them.”<br/>
“Father-figure then,” The teen said, snuggling even closer and quickly becoming a deadweight against Tony.<br/>
“If you say so kiddo,” the man whispered with a smile, kissing the top of Peter’s head as warmth bloomed in his chest.<br/>
If the kid said it, then it must be true. All Tony knew from today was that he wasn’t quite a Dad, but he was pretty damn close.</p>
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